A Few More Fights, With a Few Less Tights
by DarkAngl2025
Summary: chapter 5 has been added! Sorry for the delay! A interesting turn of events leads to much needed litness in season 4. (spoilers through ep. 4.21)
1. Cell Phone Buzzing and Car Alarms

Title: A Few More Fights, With a Few Less Tights.  
  
Spoilers: everything through episode 4 x 21, Last Week Fights, This Week Tights  
  
Pairings: I'm a lit, so you figure it out.  
  
Rating: PG-13 just to be on the safe side  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of the other characters, I do however plan to rectify the horrible situation the writers made out of the season 4 finale by changing things before they go wrong. I hope you enjoy, feedback is much appreciated. Also this is my first fic, so if it's horrible let me know.  
  
Summary: An alteration to 4.21 episode can make all the difference in the world.  
  
(Introduction)  
  
[The door to the building opens and Jess walks in.]  
  
RORY: What are you doing here?  
  
JESS: I need to talk to you.  
  
DEAN: Jess...  
  
JESS: I need to talk to you.  
  
DEAN: What's going on?  
  
RORY: What are you doing here?  
  
JESS: Rory, please.  
  
DEAN: Rory?  
  
RORY: [to Dean] Go -- go home.  
  
DEAN: No.  
  
RORY: Yes, go. You should go. [Dean leaves.] Why won't you leave me alone? You won't go away.  
  
JESS: Rory.  
  
RORY: What do you want?  
  
JESS: I don't know. I just wanted to see you, talk to you. I just...  
  
RORY: What?  
  
JESS: Come with me.  
  
RORY: What?  
  
JESS: Come with me.  
  
RORY: Where?  
  
JESS: I don't know...away!  
  
RORY: Are you crazy?  
  
JESS: Probably. Do it. Come with me. Don't think about it.  
  
RORY: I can't do that. [opens the door and walks into her room]  
  
JESS: You don't think you can do it but you can. You can do whatever you want.  
  
RORY: It's not what I want.  
  
JESS: It is. I know you.  
  
RORY: You don't know me!  
  
JESS: Look, we'll go to New York. We'll work, we'll live together, we'll be together. It's what I want. It's what you want, too.  
  
RORY: No!  
  
JESS: I want to be with you, but not here. Not this place, not Stars Hollow. We have to start new.  
  
RORY: There's nothing to start!  
  
JESS: You're packed. Your stuff is all in boxes. It's perfect. You're ready. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this. You can count on me now. I know you couldn't count on me before, but you can now. You can.  
  
RORY: No!  
  
JESS: Look, you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago, and you know it, too. I know you do.  
  
RORY: No, no, no, no, no!  
  
JESS: Don't say "no" just to make me stop talking or make me go away. Only say "no" if you really don't want to be with me.  
  
RORY: No!  
  
[Jess backs away and leaves. Rory sits down on a box and puts her head in her hands.] (Chapter 1) Jess walks back to the parking lot in a blur, "No." he mutters over and over again. "No, she said no." he feels numb. 'How can she say no?' he thinks to himself. He opens up the car door and sees the self-help book Luke gave him on the seat. "Stupid book." Jess picks it up and throws it into the parking lot hitting a car a few rows over, the lights start flashing and the horn is beeping. "DAMMIT!" he yells at no one in particular and gets in the car and slams the door. He puts his head on the steering wheel, trying to get himself under control, he wants to put his fist through a wall, "she said no." he says once more quietly to himself. He pulls his head up and hits it against the back of the seat. "Fine," he feels his throat tighten a bit and bites his lip, and puts the key in the ignition and tries to start the car. It makes a squealing noise and the engine turns over once and then goes dead. He tries the key again, and nothing happens. "Shit!" he slams his hands against the steering wheel and gets out of the car and opens the hood. Black smoke comes from under the hood. He blows out a breath and kicks the tire. 'What a perfect night,' he thinks bitterly as he sits down next to the car leaning against the tire he just kicked and resting his elbows on his knees he puts his face in his hands.  
  
Rory finally gets up from her seat on one of the boxes after about ten minutes. She lets out a loud sigh, 'why did I tell him no,' she thinks sadly. 'How could I tell him no, didn't I love him, don't I love him,' her mind was racing and she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly, "I can't love someone who leaves without saying good-bye and then just shows up eight months later and says I love you" she said out loud trying to convince herself. In a bit of a panic she began to search frantically for her car keys, wallet, and cell phone. She finally finds her phone and picks it up and starts dialing her home number, but stops on the fourth number. "No," she said firmly clicking end on the phone, "then I'll have to stay here until mom comes to get me and I can't stay here any longer. I have to leave get away from here, from this place." She says frantically to herself. She grabs her purse stuffs her phone and wallet into it and heads outside barely remembering to lock the dorm door behind her. She opens up the door that Jess had walked in through and some more tears fall. She bites her bottom lip and wipes them away with the back of her hand. She begins walking into the parking lot and hears a car alarm going off. "Idiots!" Rory says out loud thinking that it must be one of Graham's buddies probably setting off car alarms for the hell of it. She takes a step into the parking lot and sees Jess's old dilapidated car still sitting there, but no sign of Jess. She stiffens and glances around for any sign of him. 'I'm not sure if I'll still say no if he asks again,' she thinks sadly as she takes a deep breath and stands still in the parking lot trying to decide whether to go back inside or to continue going to her car. After standing for what seems like an eternity she realizes she can't go back inside, she needs to go home to comfort and security, but then the thought of him, in Stars Hollow, the bridge, the diner, the books, begins to make her feel a bit crazy. 'Everything reminds me of him,' she realized. With her jaw quivering slightly she began to walk toward her car. She was halfway there when she realized Jess was sitting slumped next to his car.  
  
"What are you still doing here?" she yells at him, her voice cracks a little. Jess looks up at her slightly bewildered, for a minute he looks crushed, which he quickly replaces with anger.  
  
"Well if it's any consolation I don't want to be here." He yells back.  
  
"So then go." Rory feels her eyes begin to sting, 'don't cry in front of him' she tells herself.  
  
"I can't." he says pathetically staring down at his shoes.  
  
"Well why not?" she is beginning to lose it. 'Walk away, Rory, walk away.' She tells herself but she can't manage to get her feet to move.  
  
"Car won't start," he mumbles, he peers up at her through his hair, trying to tell if she is upset because he is still there or if she is upset because she didn't really want to say no.  
  
"Oh," Rory replies dumbfounded. "So, what, you tried to steal a car?" she asks once again honing in on the car alarm going off.  
  
"Oh so now I'm a car thief." He yells at her. "I guess I'm probably also a drug dealer and a male prostitute too."  
  
"I didn't mean," Rory says flustered realizing what she said, she hadn't meant it but hadn't known what to say, "the car alarm, the beeping, and the lights, and the idiots, I just, I was," she realizes she is rambling, "I just...I didn't mean it." She finishes lamely.  
  
"Sure, that's what you said, twice," Jess said bitterly. He leaned his head back against the car and closed his eyes, "Just go, Rory."  
  
Rory started to walk away but then stopped. "How are you going to get home?" she asked concerned.  
  
"Huh," Jess said feeling incredibly sarcastic, "maybe a lonely trucker will take pity on me."  
  
"Jess," Rory said firmly, "how are you going to get home?"  
  
"Why should you care?" he asked looking straight into her eyes, "you told me to go."  
  
Rory bit her lip and wrinkled her forehead. She knelt down next to him, "Jess," she said softly. He turned his head away from her, seeing her was going to make his wall crumple.  
  
"You said no," he practically growled, "you said that we didn't have anything left, that there was nothing, and that I should go, well I can't go," he turned to her he noticed his hands were trembling, "so you should go, get as far away as you can, that's what you want."  
  
Rory felt the hot tears run down her cheek, her voice trembled and her breath was ragged. She stared into his brown eyes, and felt herself begin to melt. "I don't know...I don't know..." she was sobbing by now, "I just, I loved you, and..." she swallowed hard, and bit her lip, trying to stop a sob from escaping, "how do I know you wouldn't go again. I can't be near you, I can't stand for you to break my heart again." She screamed at him.  
  
Jess looked at her he felt frozen, he couldn't move he couldn't speak, 'I wonder if this is what she felt like that night' he thought darkly thinking of the night he came back and told her he loved her. He realized that she said 'loved and not love' and took a breath and stared at her. "Go," he managed, and turned his head away from her.  
  
Rory found composure from somewhere. "I don't know what I want," she said quietly, more to herself than to him, then she steadied herself, "No." She dug around in her purse and found her cell phone and practically threw it at him, "call someone to get you," she commanded as she stood back up and straightened her clothes, and wiped her face with her hands.  
  
Jess stared at her blankly.  
  
"Call someone," she said again.  
  
Jess picked up the phone and examined it, and then flipped it open, dialed a number the phone rang a few times and no one answered. He clicked it closed and tried to hand it to her. She stepped back like it was a snake.  
  
"Jeez," Jess said glaring at her from where he sat, "take the damn phone and go."  
  
"What about you?" she asked again  
  
"I'll be fine," he paused, "once you go."  
  
Rory looked hurt, and swallowed again. "I'm..." she stopped herself from apologizing, suddenly she was feeling very angry at him. "Dammit Jess, you leave without so much as a word, come back and tell me you love me, then disappear again and tonight you come back and tell me to go away with you." She was hysterical, yelling and crying at the same time. "You say to go away to New York or wherever, not my home, no where near my friends, or my mom, or my school, you expect me to give up my entire life for you. Everyone who loves me and has supported me, just for you, you want me to leave when I have no idea if I'm going to wake up one morning and you aren't going to be there because you suddenly decide that it's time for you to leave again. I can't do that, and if you really love me like you said than you wouldn't expect me to give up everything I love." she swallowed and no longer feeling like she could stand slumped down to the ground against a car parked next to Jess's.  
  
"You're right." Jess said quietly, he felt small and ashamed, and lost all at the same time. He felt his eyes sting and shut them for a moment to collect himself. He was a man, he wasn't going to cry.  
  
Rory was amazed to hear him say she was right. Since when did Jess Mariano agree with anything she said. She sniffled quietly and watched him sit there leaning against the car with his eyes closed his hair had grown some and was flopping slightly because of the light breeze. Rory watched him, waiting for him to open his eyes, she wanted to see him, see into his soul, see if what he said he really felt, but he didn't open his eyes he just sat there quietly listening to the car alarm still going off. He could feel her eyes on him but he couldn't look at her, seeing her made him see how she rejected him. Suddenly the phone in Jess's hands started buzzing, making him jump and throw the phone down.  
  
"Jeez," he said feeling his heart race from the phone scaring him. He watched Rory reach for it and pick it up, she flipped it open.  
  
"Hello?" she asked still sniffing.  
  
"You've just won the million dollar Publisher's Clearinghouse," Lorelai chimed into the phone.  
  
"Hi mom," Rory said glumly.  
  
"What's wrong mini-me?" Lorelai asked, turning down her cheerfulness just a little to see what was bothering Rory.  
  
"Nah..nothing," Rory said lamely, she eyed Jess who had gotten up and walked toward the car that was still flashing it's lights and beeping. "I think I'm getting a cold or something." She lied  
  
"Right," Lorelai said figuring she'd find out eventually, "well you missed all the excitement in the Hollow. Liz, got married and Luke had to make hundreds of turkey legs, and there was..." Lorelai stopped, "Rory, sweetie, are you listening?"  
  
"Huh, oh yeah, turkey legs," Rory said absentmindedly "um mom, I'm kinda getting ready to come home, can you wait til you see me?" she asked.  
  
"Sure, drive safe." Lorelai sounded disappointed. "I'll keep the lights on outside for you."  
  
"Okay, bye." Rory said clicking the phone closed. The car alarm had stopped. Rory saw Jess holding a large paperback book in his hand and walking away from the car.  
  
He walked back to his car, keeping the book out of her sight and throwing it into the car.  
  
"It stopped," she said wanting to talk to him more but feeling like they were out of things to say.  
  
"Huh," Jess said absentmindedly as he went back to the front of his car and looked under the hood.  
  
"How'd you make it stop?" she asked standing up and trying to peer into the car from where she stood.  
  
"There was a book on it," he said, his voice was devoid of emotion.  
  
"Oh," Rory paused, "why was there a book on the car?"  
  
"I um, dropped it." Jess said indifferently. He was fiddling with a belt under the hood. He readjusted it and then closed the hood and got into his car. He rolled down his window and tried to start the car, this time the engine caught and the car grumbled and idled. "Bye Rory," he said not looking at her, his voice still dead. He put the car into drive and pulled out of the Yale parking lot and onto the main road and out of her sight.  
  
"Bye Jess," she said to the empty space where he had been. Tears were falling freely now as Rory walked to her car got in and pulled out of the parking lot just as Jess had. Things were feeling final, as if it was the end and that Jess was out of her life for good. She felt empty suddenly, had he been right? Was being with him the one thing that she wanted? She turned on the radio to some Dido song, she quickly turned off the radio. Dido was too depressing to listen to, and she didn't have the energy to scan through the stations. 'Bye Rory' the words were echoing through her head. She past the first street light and was about a half mile from the highway entrance when she saw the ugly brown car parked on the side of the road, plumes of dark smoke coming out of the hood. Rory pulled off onto the shoulder behind the car. She got out and walked toward his door. 'Do you believe in fate?' she was thinking of a philosophy discussion that they had in class a few weeks back.  
  
She approached his window. Jess was leaning into the back seat looking for something. She knocked on his window and he hit his head on the roof of the car. He turned to her, "I thought you were leaving." He said, but she didn't hear him because his window was rolled up. He rolled down the window. "What?"  
  
Rory bit her lip nervously she reached for the door handle and opened his door. "We're not done. So come with me." She said, almost as cryptically as he had when he showed up earlier at her dorm. Jess began to open his mouth to protest but she put her fingers to her lips.  
  
"If you want to have a chance in hell then I suggest you work on proving your worth it." she was tired of being the one to sit back and let him come and go out of her life. It was her life and she was going to take control.  
  
"Ok." Jess said as he grabbed his backpack that Lorelai had been snooping in earlier that day and stuffed the self-help book into it and followed Rory to her car.  
  
A/N: I'm having some odd spacing problems at the moment, so sorry for the big block of very confusing text at the beginning of the story. If you know how to fix that let me know! Oh and thanks for reading, if you feel like reviewing then I will kindly read your critique's and criticisms and if not then I hope you enjoyed the story and didn't think it was too boring. 


	2. Boys in the Hollow

Title: A Few More Fights, With a Few Less Tights.  
  
Spoilers: everything through episode 4 x 21, Last Week Fights, This Week Tights  
  
Pairings: I'm a lit, with a dash of javajunkieness  
  
Rating: PG-13 just to be on the safe side  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of the other characters, I do however plan to rectify the horrible situation the writers made out of the season 4 finale by changing things before they go wrong. I hope you enjoy, feedback is much appreciated. Also this is my first fic, so if it's horrible let me know.  
  
Summary: An alteration to 4.21 episode can make all the difference in the world.  
  
A/N: Just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed part one. Especially sunkissed from the GGC, you're the best!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The drive back to Stars Hollow was in complete silence. Rory was talked out and didn't have the energy to say anything else to Jess, and Jess was being Jess. After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence the sign for the exit to Stars Hollow appeared on the right side of the road and Rory turned off the highway and headed down the exit ramp and into Stars Hollow.  
  
"Feels like deja vous," Jess mumbled thinking of how he had showed up in the same town just a few days ago.  
  
"What?" Rory asked surprised that Jess had spoken at all.  
  
"Nothing," Jess said, and then not wanting her to argue with him anymore added, "I feel like I just left and now I'm back."  
  
"Oh." Rory paused and then remembering her mom's ranting on the brief phone call they had said, "the wedding."  
  
"Yeah." Jess said becoming monosyllabic again.  
  
"How was it?" Rory asked trying to make polite conversation.  
  
"Okay I guess," Jess shrugged.  
  
"That's good." Rory said noticing Luke's Diner fast approaching. She pulled up next to the curb and stopped the car.  
  
Jess looked around and realized that Rory expected him to stay with Luke. "Thanks for the ride." He said indifferently and grabbed his bag and opened the door.  
  
"Jess." She stopped him before he could get out of the car. He turned and looked at her, and she felt as if she had lost whatever it was she had planned on saying. "Um..." she pressed her lips together trying to figure out what to say.  
  
"Tomorrow?" Jess asked trying to figure out what she was going to say.  
  
"Yeah, we'll talk then." Rory nodded feeling suddenly very tired and alone.  
  
"Okay." Jess said getting out of the car. Before he shut the door he said, "good night, Rory." He slung the bag over his shoulder and headed toward the diner door.  
  
"Good night, Dodger," Rory recited as she put the car into drive and pulled away and began the drive home.  
  
Jess stood outside the diner trying to figure out what to do, he wondered what Luke would think of him showing up again after supposedly going back to New York, but then again there was no where for him to stay so he knocked on the door. "Luke." He called hoping his uncle would actually open the door.  
  
Inside Luke was in the kitchen trying to clean up all the grease that had collected from the cooking of the 500 or so turkey legs. He heard someone calling his name. "Stupid town," he muttered as he headed into the main diner area and saw Jess standing outside the door. 'Now what?' he thought as he walked around the counter and opened up the door.  
  
"Hey, didya miss me?" Jess asked as he walked into the diner and put his bag down on a chair.  
  
"Jess, what are you doing back?" Luke asked as he shut the door and relocked it.  
  
"Just couldn't stay away," Jess said nonchalantly as he took off his jacket and put it on top of his bag. "I was almost to New York when I remembered I had to give this back to you." He said sliding the book out of the bag and tossing it to Luke.  
  
Luke caught it and looked down at it. "I told you to hold onto this." Luke said frowning and then noticing Jess's car wasn't outside said. "Jess, where's your car?"  
  
"Damn," Jess said, "I knew I forgot something."  
  
"Jess," Luke said slowly, losing his patience, "how did you get back here without a car?"  
  
"Hitch-hiked." Jess said, "it's amazing how many lonely truckers there are in this world."  
  
"Jess." Luke said getting annoyed.  
  
"Rory gave me a ride, okay?" Jess said finally.  
  
"Rory?" Luke was confused, "Rory's at Yale." And then it dawned on him. "You didn't." Luke said astonished.  
  
"Oh yeah, I did." Jess retorted as he went around the counter and tied on an apron and headed toward the kitchen to help Luke clean up.  
  
"Jess." Luke's voice sounded more like a warning now. "So what happened?" he asked realizing that he had encouraged his nephew.  
  
"Well we're going to talk, tomorrow," Jess said not wanting to get into the conversation in the dorm room.  
  
"Good." Luke nodded.  
  
"Yeah," Jess shrugged not entirely sure that the conversation the next day was going to be a good thing. He wiped off the top of the oven and Luke followed him into the kitchen. "so how did it go with the elder Gilmore?" Jess asked Luke hoping that he wouldn't pursue questioning him anymore about Rory.  
  
Luke looked down at his shoes a little embarrassed. "Ok," he said, "I asked her if she wanted to go out sometime."  
  
"Huh," Jess continued cleaning up the kitchen.  
  
"She said ok, well at least I think she said ok." Luke said frowning trying to remember the whole awkwardness of the situation.  
  
"You think she said ok?" Jess looked up at Luke like he was crazy.  
  
"Well it was an awkward moment," Luke said defensively, "I'm sure she said yes, just not sure if she knew it was a date."  
  
"What?" Jess asked laughing slightly.  
  
"Nevermind," Luke said gruffly.  
  
Jess rolled his eyes, "whatever."  
  
"So how long are you staying?" Luke asked quickly changing the subject.  
  
"Not sure yet," Jess said figuring his job was probably already gone when he didn't show up for work in the morning.  
  
"Well your room is still upstairs," Luke said.  
  
"Thanks," Jess said throwing down the rag, "I'm gonna head up and get some sleep if that's okay with you."  
  
"Fine, I'll be up in a bit." Luke said as Jess walked back into the diner got his bag and jacket and headed upstairs.  
  
Jess got upstairs and threw his bag down on the floor, took off his shoes and sat on the bed. 'Damn,' he thought looking around the room, 'I have no clothes, no books, no music,' and then he remembered his car sitting at the side of the room. He got up and headed for the phone and called a towing service gave them the information where his car was and asked them to tow it to Gypsy's. After they worked out the payment logistics he hung up the phone and headed back into his room. "Hey Luke," he called hearing Luke come upstairs and close the door.  
  
"What?" he yelled back. "You don't happen to have any of my stuff still lying around do you?" he asked. Luke walked to the closet pulled out a medium size box full of Jess's things that he hadn't bothered to take with him when he had left last summer and brought it into Jess's room.  
  
"Guess I forgot about these," Luke said dropping the box on the floor. "I would have sent it eventually."  
  
"Yeah," Jess said as he opened it up and rummaged around finding a few shirts a few pairs of pants and a couple of books. Luke turned to leave. "Thanks," Jess called after him. Luke nodded and made a grunting noise.  
  
Jess settled into bed and picked up a book, 'The Fountainhead,' he read the cover. "No wonder I left this one." He said as he opened it up and started reading, 'beggers can't be choosers after all.' 


	3. Turkey Legs and Tears

Title: A Few More Fights, With a Few Less Tights.  
  
Spoilers: everything through episode 4 x 21, Last Week Fights, This Week Tights  
  
Pairings: I'm a lit, with a dash of javajunkieness  
  
Rating: PG-13 just to be on the safe side  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of the other characters, I do however plan to rectify the horrible situation the writers made out of the season 4 finale by changing things before they go wrong. I hope you enjoy, feedback is much appreciated. Also this is my first fic, so if it's horrible let me know.  
  
Summary: An alteration to 4.21 episode can make all the difference in the world.  
  
A/N: All the reviews are much appreciated, gives me the confidence to keep the story going, y'know knowing that someone is actually reading it makes a big difference. So thanks!  
  
Rory pulled the car into her driveway and got out. "Home," she smiled and took a deep breath, 'it's good to be back.' She thought as she headed toward the front door. She had just stepped onto the porch when the front door to her house burst open and Lorelai rushed out.  
  
"RORY!!!" She exclaimed happily as she threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her.  
  
"Mom." Rory was hugging Lorelai back, "Mom, um, I can't breathe." She said trying to get Lorelai to loosen her grip a little bit.  
  
"Oh what's air compared to the love of your mother anyway?" Lorelai said still holding Rory tightly.  
  
"Well if I die of asphyxiation then you won't have anyone to try to strangle every time they come back home, now will you?" Rory teased.  
  
"Um...good point," Lorelai said letting go of Rory. "So how was your trip and your drive and finals, and packing?" Lorelai asked as she ushered Rory in before Babette could come outside and greet them.  
  
"It was ok," Rory lied not wanting to go into the details just yet.  
  
"Really? Because when I called you sounded upset, or mad, are you sure it was ok?" Lorelai pried.  
  
"Yeah it was fine, I couldn't get the tape off the roll, y'know it got stuck and I kept picking at it and it broke my nail and then I was trying to cut it off the roll with a scissor and the scissor got stuck and it was just a mess." Rory rambled lamely.  
  
"Okay, so next time we make sure we buy you the happy cooperative tape that comes on a roll with the little plastic thing that holds the tape." Lorelai smirked enjoying the remedy she came up with for the problem.  
  
"Good idea," Rory said quietly as she sat down on the couch.  
  
"You look tired babe," Lorelai said noticing Rory wasn't as cheery as she should be. "Wanna go bug Luke into opening up just for us and making coffee?" Lorelai had a mischievous look in her eye.  
  
"NO," Rory said quickly and then realizing her mistake said, "it's late and...and you didn't tell me about the wedding yet." Changing the subject only worked about fifty percent of the time with Lorelai so Rory crossed her fingers hoping it would work.  
  
"Oh!" Lorelai was practically jumping up and down, "it was amazing, I felt like I was in that movie with the Fast and the Furious guy where they got sent back to the 14th century only the French weren't being invaded."  
  
"Yes, because an invasion would have really screwed up the wedding," Rory agreed nodding her head.  
  
"Right, so everyone was dressed up, well except Luke, he was dressed up, but not 'dressed up' if you know what I mean." Lorelai grinned thinking of how good Luke had looked in his suit.  
  
Rory laughed, "so get to the good part already, did you mention something about dancing?"  
  
"Apparently you have also inherited my lack of being patient." Lorelai said proudly.  
  
Rory gave her a 'well hurry up and continue' look and Lorelai continued with the story.  
  
"So it was after the wedding, and everyone was feasting, on these 500 turkey legs that Luke had to deep fry because the deep frying turkey leg guy couldn't do it, and then of course the music started playing and just out of no where Luke comes up to me and asks me to dance." Lorelai was glowing.  
  
"I didn't know Luke knew how to dance," Rory said smiling at her mother's happiness.  
  
"Well before the wedding he kept telling all of Liz's friends that he couldn't dance," Lorelai had an evil grin on her face, "I guess honest Luke isn't quite so honest."  
  
"I think that's supposed to be Abe, not Luke." Rory teased.  
  
"Wow, college has really taught you a lot hasn't it." Lorelai replied, "so we danced and ate and then he walked me home. Or ate and danced, well you get the idea"  
  
"Okay," Rory said not understanding the significance of the walk home.  
  
"So then Luke gets very quiet and starts mumbling. So naturally I thought that he was talking to the voices in his head."  
  
"Wouldn't that be Kirk?" Rory interjected, and Lorelai shrugged, "maybe Taylor," she corrected her daughter.  
  
"Right," Rory agreed.  
  
"So anyway, I ask him what is wrong and then he asks if I'd like to watch a movie since I always watch movies," Lorelai said raising one eyebrow up creating a look of intrigue.  
  
"Huh," Rory said and then thought of how Jess always used that line and quickly shrugged it off.  
  
Lorelai didn't seem to notice at all and continued, "and then he tells me that we should perhaps get dinner before or after the movie. So of course I think that he must have deep fried more than just the turkey legs so I ask what he is talking about and he gets all grumpy..."  
  
"Back to normal Luke," Rory chimed in.  
  
"and then says do you want to go out with me sometime." Lorelai was smiling really big. Rory squealed and jumped up from her seat on the couch.  
  
"It's about time! What did you say?" she asked hurriedly.  
  
"I told him yes," Lorelai grinned and Rory ran over and hugged her and the two jumped up and down still embracing. When they finally broke off Lorelai added, "I mean we don't have a plan yet, but it seems like I have a date with Luke."  
  
"That's great! Have you told Sookie yet, oh and I'm gonna have to call Lane and tell her..."  
  
"Hold on a second kiddo," Lorelai said putting up her hands to stop Rory's brain from processing all the people that she needed to tell this to, "I want to keep this on the d/l until we see how it goes. Ok?"  
  
"The d/l?" Rory looked at Lorelai, "since when did you start using weird abbreviations?"  
  
"Since you started writing strange e-mail messages to me." Lorelai retorted.  
  
"Oh, oops," Rory looked sheepish.  
  
Lorelai waved it off, "so how bout that coffee to celebrate."  
  
"Um, I don't feel like coffee," Rory said not looking at her mom.  
  
Lorelai made a very loud gasp, "do my ears deceive me, has the fruit of my loins just turned down coffee? Luke's coffee. The essence of life and sanity."  
  
"Well," Rory realized she was going to have to tell Lorelai what had happened, Lorelai was staring at her expectantly. "I just don't want to have to see Jess tonight.  
  
"Sweetie, Jess went back to New York after the wedding," Lorelai reassured.  
  
"No he didn't!" Rory felt herself losing control of her emotions again. "he came to Yale, he came to see me."  
  
"What?" Lorelai had the momma bear protecting her young look on her face.  
  
"He came to Yale, after I got back from that horrible date with Graham, and Dean was there and everything was such a mess and I told him to go and he didn't want to." Rory was rambling and her eyes were beginning to sting again.  
  
"Hold on, rewind and this time play it again, but on a slower speed please." Lorelai said sitting down on the couch next to Rory.  
  
Rory swallowed, "I had a date with the guy that grandma set me up with."  
  
"Right," Lorelai nodded enthusiastically, "get to why Dean was at Yale and why Jess showed up."  
  
"Dean was at Yale," Rory hiccupped, "because Graham was a total jerk and they were drunk and couldn't drive me back and I didn't have any money or my car so I called," she sniffed, "Dean. And he came and was really sweet and he took me back to my dorm and we were talking about him and Lindsey and he was saying how he," Rory paused, "oh my gosh, are they okay, because it sounded like it wasn't working and he was sneaking out of the house, and..."  
  
Lorelai cut her off, "they're fine Rory, it takes time to adjust to married life, now continue, so Dean took you back to Yale and then Jess appeared?" she asked trying to get her daughter back on track.  
  
"Right," Rory said getting back to her story, "Jess came, and said that he had to talk to me, so I told Dean to leave, but he didn't want to but he did anyway and then Jess was all come away with me, you know we are meant to be together." Rory felt a tear slide down her cheek and wiped it away annoyed.  
  
"Oh babe," Lorelai said trying to be comforting although on the inside she was jumping up and down for joy that her daughter hadn't lost her mind and went running off with the guy that had broken her heart.  
  
"So I told him no, I told him to go. And I know he was hurt, but he just walked out." Rory was crying a bit more uncontrollably and Lorelai put an arm around her. "And then I sat there thinking about how this might be the last time I'll ever see Jess, and I just had to come home, get away from the dorm and the thought him walking out.  
  
Lorelai was confused, "so why are we avoiding Luke's?" she asked after Rory had calmed down a bit.  
  
"Because I brought him back here." Rory said finally.  
  
"Brought who back here?" Lorelai was having trouble following the story because of Rory's rushed recollection and her sobbing.  
  
"Jess, his car wasn't working and it was just sitting in the parking lot and then he finally got it to start but it got stuck again and so I just took him back here, and left him at Luke's." Rory said leaving out the part about talking the next day.  
  
"That was...nice of you," Lorelai finished, unsure of what her response should be.  
  
"Oh no!" Rory exclaimed suddenly.  
  
"What?" Lorelai asked worried about what Rory had suddenly remembered.  
  
"His car is just sitting on the side of the highway somewhere, and..." but Lorelai shushed her, "I'm sure that he called someone after he got to Luke's. Plus it's his car and his problem, not yours." Lorelai pointed out trying to make it clear to her daughter that Jess wasn't her sole responsibility.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Rory said still thinking about Jess and the promise of talking tomorrow. "We'll I think I'm gonna go get some sleep after a day like today."  
  
"Okay," Lorelai said gently, "I'll be upstairs if you need anything," she kissed Rory on the forehead, "night sweets. I'm glad you're home."  
  
"Me too." Rory said genuinely, "good night mom."  
  
A/N, part 2: I felt like a lot of this was either a recap from the episode or a recap from the first chapter, so I apologize for that, but I felt it was necessary to recall all of that for the sake of the Rory/Lorelai mother- daughter/best friend closeness. Hope you didn't mind too much. 


	4. Ball's in your Court

Title: A Few More Fights, With a Few Less Tights.  
  
Spoilers: everything through episode 4 x 21, Last Week Fights, This Week Tights  
  
Pairings: I'm a lit, with a dash of javajunkieness  
  
Rating: PG-13 just to be on the safe side  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of the other characters, I do however plan to rectify the horrible situation the writers made out of the season 4 finale by changing things before they go wrong. I hope you enjoy, feedback is much appreciated. Also this is my first fic, so if it's horrible let me know.  
  
Summary: An alteration to 4.21 episode can make all the difference in the world.  
  
A/N: Just wanted to say this is a birthday present for one of my best online friends so you better enjoy chica!  
  
It just seemed like another Stars Hollow morning, the early crowd still arrived early at the diner and Luke was once again up at his usual 5 AM to get everything prepared and opened in time for them.  
  
Jess awoke at 7:30 and looked for his clock. "What the hell?" he asked sitting up quickly and looking around, finally realizing that he wasn't in his crappy little apartment in New York but back at Luke's. He sighed and threw his feet over the side of the bed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Here goes nothing," he muttered as he stood up rummaged through his box found some clothes and headed for the bathroom to get cleaned up and ready for the day.  
  
"Oink, oink," the alarm was buzzing in Lorelai's room, she sighed and slapped it shut. "Stupid pigs!" she mumbled as she rolled over and buried her head under the pillow in the process knocking over her alarm clock that clanked to the floor.  
  
Downstairs Rory was woken by the clatter. "Huh?" She asked sleepily. She glanced around and realized she was back at home. "Did you hear that colonel clucker?" she asked her stuffed chicken that was sitting on her dresser. She sat up and padded into the kitchen. "Mom?" she called looking around. Rory glanced at the clock on the stove..."8:30" ... "Mom?!?" she called a little louder.  
  
Lorelai unburied her head, "Rory?" she called back.  
  
"Mom?" Rory called again as she headed upstairs, "did you hear that clank?" she asked.  
  
"Ummm," Lorelai yelled back still half asleep. Rory walked into her room and saw the clock on the floor she picked it up and put it back on the night table. "Taking the break a few eggs to make an omelet literally?" Rory asked.  
  
Lorelai opened up her eyes and looked at Rory, "it was the pigs. No chickens here."  
  
"Oh, so you had an urge for bacon?" Rory teased now fully awake and mentally freaking out over the thought of seeing Jess.  
  
"I don't know, I'm thinking some coffee and a Danish," she half smiled thinking of coffee.  
  
"I'm uh..." Rory was about to say not really hungry but changed her mind. "I think I need to go to the diner alone."  
  
Lorelai opened her eyes wide, "you are denying your mom coffee!!!" her jaw dropped.  
  
"No, not denying you coffee just postponing it," Rory paused, "or you could make your own."  
  
"Blasphemy!" Lorelai shrieked and then seeing Rory's nervous look said, "fine, but I'm gonna take a shower in a half hour and then go get the coffee so you better hurry." She said encouragingly.  
  
"Okay," Rory said and headed for the bedroom door.  
  
"Sweets," Lorelai said stopping her mid stride, "it'll be okay, just remember there are more fish in the sea, you don't need to settle for a Jess-fish if you don't want to."  
  
Rory chuckled and headed downstairs to get dressed and head over to Luke's.  
  
About a half hour later Rory walked into Luke's diner. "Hey Luke," she said trying to hide her nerves from him. Luke looked up, "Hey Rory, glad to see you back." He said as he poured her a cup of coffee. "You might want to take this to go," he said thinking perhaps she didn't want to see Jess.  
  
"Um, no thanks, actually I was wondering if I could take this upstairs." She said hoping Jess hadn't bolted first chance he got.  
  
Luke gave her a skeptical look, "Fine." He said turning to go take Kirk's order.  
  
"Thanks Luke," she said as she headed behind the counter and upstairs hoping no one had noticed her disappear.  
  
Rory went upstairs and knocked on the door.  
  
"What?" Jess called thinking it was Luke.  
  
Rory had half a mind to head back downstairs and not do anything but a voice inside her head told her it was important to talk to Jess, so she took a deep breath.  
  
"Jess?" she called back through the door.  
  
She heard the music inside cut off, and then the door opened. "Hey" he said looking at her.  
  
"Um, hi." She said as she pushed past him and into the room. He closed the door and turned around.  
  
He swallowed not sure what to do or say. "Um thanks for the ride." He said lamely.  
  
"Oh, you're welcome." Rory said feeling flustered. She looked down and stared at her hands and the coffee cup not sure what to say.  
  
Jess put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door. "So now what?" he asked finally.  
  
Rory looked up, "now what?" she asked sounding slightly angry, "okay I'm not going to go off again like yesterday." She said resolutely more to herself than to him. "Now we talk and work out a plan."  
  
"Okay," Jess said as he moved toward her and sat down on the chair.  
  
"Okay," Rory said again and cleared her throat. "you," she pointed, "live in New York," she paused, "I live here or at Yale. Do you see the problem?"  
  
Jess gave her a strange look, "Huh, really?" he gave her his patented smart-ass response.  
  
"Jess." She said sounding angry again, "you want me to change my entire life for you and yet you think that I'm willing to do that at the drop of a hat."  
  
"No." he said, "I don't, but I think that you know that we are meant to be, and that this not being together isn't working."  
  
Rory bit her bottom lip thinking. "I'm not going away with you, so now what excellent plan do you have?"  
  
Jess shrugged, "That depends what do you want me to do?" he asked her.  
  
Rory looked at him, "I can't tell you what to do or you'll end up resenting me."  
  
Jess gave her a look, "Jesus Rory, I'd do anything for you."  
  
Rory looked at him, "prove it." She said and got up and walked past him toward the door.  
  
"Rory?" he called after her.  
  
She didn't respond she simply headed toward the door.  
  
Jess sat there bewildered once again. "Oh man, now what the hell am I gonna do?" he asked as he put his face in his hands again already thinking of his next course of action.  
  
Rory walked downstairs calmly feeling good about her choice of words until she saw her mom sitting at the counter talking to Luke and suddenly she realized nothing had really been solved.  
  
"Shit." She muttered as she brushed past Luke and Lorelai and headed outside for the bridge.  
  
Jess just happened to be glancing out the window at that moment and saw Rory head toward the bridge. "You're turn Mariano," he said as he got up and headed toward the door. 


	5. Did Hell Just Freeze Over?

Title: A Few More Fights, With a Few Less Tights.

Spoilers: everything through episode 4 x 21, Last Week Fights, This Week Tights

Pairings: I'm a lit, with a dash of javajunkieness

Rating: PG-13 just to be on the safe side

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of the other characters, I do however plan to rectify the horrible situation the writers made out of the season 4 finale by changing things before they go wrong. I hope you enjoy, feedback is much appreciated. Also this is my first fic, so if it's horrible let me know.

Summary: An alteration to 4.21 episode can make all the difference in the world.

A/N: Sorry for the delay, life has been keeping me busy and when I wanted to post this a few days ago my computer was hiding the file from me.

Jess opened the door to the apartment and stopped. He closed the door and leaned against it. Opened it again and took a step outside. Backed up into the apartment again and slammed the door. "Pull it together." He told himself firmly.

Luke and Lorelai glanced over at Rory who quickly fled the diner.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked Lorelai hoping she had more of a story than he did.

Lorelai sighed, "I think it's called love." And then realizing what she said quickly added, "oh my God, Luke, do something!"

Luke gave her a bewildered look, not sure if he was supposed to go upstairs and throw Jess out the window or pour Lorelai more coffee. "What am I supposed to do?!?" he asked flustered and turning slightly red in the face.

"I don't know," she said and then looking down at her empty cup said, "pour the coffee and then we'll figure something out."

Luke looked a little relieved and poured her another cup of coffee and sighed, he leaned against the counter and folded his arms over his chest. Before he could say anything else he heard the door to the apartment slam, then slam again, and again. He looked toward the stairs as did Lorelai. "I'll be right back," he said as he quickly closed the distance between himself and the staircase and bolted upstairs.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN' TO THE DOOR?!?" Luke yelled when he was halfway up the stairs.

"Nothing!" Jess yelled back as he opened up the door again and stood in the doorway still not sure what to do.

"Inside now." Luke said as he made it to the top of the stairs, and shoved Jess back inside and slammed the door behind them. "What is going on? What did you do now?"

"Nothing," Jess said as he sulked and glared at Luke.

"Well then why did Rory just run out of the diner and why did you just give the hinges a workout?"

"I thought they were rusty." Jess replied sarcastically, "and she left on her own, I didn't do anything. Apparently it's my freakin' turn."

"What?" Luke asked completely confused.

Jess sighed, he really didn't want to go into this but he also knew that he needed a suggestion. "She wants me to prove myself and my feelings." He said through gritted teeth.

Luke tried to hide his smile. "So you wanted to give her a door?" he asked.

Jess glared harder at Luke and then threw his hands up in the air, "Forget it. Just forget it." He said as he began to pace around the kitchen of the apartment.

"No." Luke said as he continued to try to hide his expression. "you need help."

"No more self help books," Jess said simply as he pretended to look for something in the fridge.

"Okay," Luke said and then began his story, "so let me tell you the story of my friend Phil, who was in love with this woman, um, Sarah, and so Phil made a lot of..."

Jess cut him off, "not Phil again, and wasn't it Judy, not Sarah?"

Luke looked at him, "I can't remember, but the point is," Luke paused.

"Great, you forgot the point." Jess laughed bitterly.

Before Luke could say anything else Lorelai knocked on the apartment door. "Did you want me to take orders while you are gone because you forgot to leave me the little note pad thingy and I need that pen that you keep behind your ear and if you want the sock might be able to help me too." She said through the door.

Luke opened the door quickly, "I'll take the orders just tell them to wait."

"But the people will starve and then there will be dead bodies in the diner and no one will eat here and we will all be forced to go to Al's" she said matter-of-factly.

"Lorelai, I'm busy." Luke said gruffly. Lorelai nodded.

"I know." She said slyly, and then lowered her voice to a whisper, "I want to talk to him."

Luke through a 'I'm sorry' glance to Jess and left.

Lorelai walked into the apartment and shut the door. "Hey, how's it going?" she asked as she looked around suspiciously.

"Uh...fine." Jess said suddenly afraid of what Rory might have said last night.

Lorelai looked at him, "really? Because it doesn't seem like you know what the hell you are doing or what the hell you want and you really need to figure this stuff out before you drag Rory down with you." She gave him a hard stare.

Jess nodded, "I want to be with Rory." He said quietly.

"Really, because from where I'm sitting it seems more like you want to get away from Rory, let's see going to California without a goodbye," she began ticking them off on her fingers, "coming back and then leaving again, showing up at Yale only to try to escape yet again." She paused and glared at him, "seems to me you want to stay away from Rory more than be with Rory."

Jess made a gruff sound, Lorelai was infuriating and a voice in the back of his head was agreeing with her, he hated that.

"I want to fix things," he said finally hoping she'd quit.

"How?" Lorelai asked fiercely.

"Y'know you have that over protective mamma bear thing down really well." Jess said trying to make her drop it.

"Yes I do, and be warned my bite is much worse than my bark."

"Huh, I wouldn't have figured that one out on my own." He said sarcastically.

"Look you little..." she paused and took a breath, "Rory likes you, she loves you even, and I swear if you screw this up again there will be nothing stopping me from killing you and burying your body someplace on the grounds of the inn. You got that?"

"Yes ma'am." Jess said curtly.

"Good." She paused, unsure of how to continue. "So what are you going to do, Rory just left that usually means you are supposed to follow or did you not watch the remake of the Parent Trap?"

"What?" Jess asked completely confused.

Lorelai had a disgusted look on her face, "I can't believe I'm helping the hoodlum make things right with my daughter." She sighed and looked at him. "You get one of these a life time so listen up, she left you follow. Now go."

Jess looked at her trying to figure out if her head was going to start spinning around in a circle or if she was going to pull out a machete or machine gun and murder him on the spot.

"What are you waiting for, if you haven't learned anything else from us you should know Gilmores are very impatient."

Jess nodded and headed for the door, he opened it and looked at her, "um, thanks." He said and walked downstairs past Luke and out the door in the direction of the bridge.

Meanwhile Lorelai looked around the apartment, "dear lord, what did I just do?" she asked thoroughly afraid of her previous actions. She walked down the stairs in a daze.

"What happened?" Luke asked when she came down the stairs.

"Some unknown force took over my body and told Jess to go after Rory." She said with a wild insane look in her eye.

Luke's jaw dropped open. And he promptly closed it and then a smug look crossed his features.

"What?" Lorelai asked as she sat on a stool feeling a bit shaky, "Did it just get a lot colder in here. Did hell just freeze over?"

Luke smiled, "you know he's not full of shit anymore." He said proudly.

Lorelai looked at him. "You poisoned the coffee." She said as she buried her face in her hands and wouldn't look up. "Dear Lord what have I done?" she kept muttering to herself.


End file.
